I find it is always difficult to turn a well known film into
a stage musical and this is no exception.
The story is a familiar one, boy meets girl but class difference and a
few twists and turns later they fall in love with each other.
The beginning of the show started with high energy and the
cast showed enthusiasm for the first number.
The audience took a while to warm up and I do wish the theatre / Production
Company would lower their prices so more people would attend and create an
atmosphere.
There were a few issues with the sound quality and one or
two songs seemed to be mimed, which is a pet hate of mine. The choreography was superb and a real
highlight of the show. The staging of
the show was fantastic with a simple moveable set that the cast relocated on
several occasions.
Joanne Clifton plays Alex and gives a very good performance,
full of energy and has god chemistry on stage with her fellow dancers. Ben Adams is her romantic interest and the
two of them make their characters believable to the audience. The other girl dancers were superb but I
would have liked a bit more grit in some of the songs they sang.
The cast all gave very good performances and showed their
versatility, playing several roles throughout.
At times, there needed to be a
bit more controlled passion in some of the dialogue.
I think they missed an opportunity for a song by the lady
who played the carer of the old dance teacher.
Her voice at the end deserved to be showcased more in the show.
Overall a good show with good performances and the last
twenty minutes really came alive and ended the night on a high like every show
should!
